Artisans produce hands-on exhibit

Most visitors seem to have the same reaction to the varied pieces now on display at Arts United for Davidson County - they can't keep their hands off them.

From satin smooth finishes to intricately carved textures, "Out of the Woods" features a variety of wooden creations spanning the range of possibilities using wood as the artistic medium.

The objects include figures of birds, animals and human caricatures, carved from all types of wood, as well as bowls, vases, baskets, boxes, humidors and chessboards, created with lathes, scroll saws and other techniques.

"You've just got to touch it," admitted Jo Ellen Edwards as she admired a carving by Darrell Hedrick called "Whimsical House with Tower" during an opening reception Tuesday evening at the gallery.

He hasn't posted "Do Not Touch" signs in the exhibit, but that will change Oct. 22 when Barbecue Festival visitors tour the gallery, which will be converted to display entries in the annual competition sponsored by the Davidson County Woodcarvers Association.

About half the pieces in "Out of the Woods" were contributed by association members, and the rest are by wood turners and other local wood craftsmen.

Charles Myers of Linwood is president of the woodcarvers' group, which has about 25 members. He has been carving for 21 years and joked that his father-in-law, Billy Joe Athay, made him take up the craft to marry his wife, Marsha. The club recognizes a member annually with an award in Athay's memory.

Myers likes to know what he is going to carve before he begins, but the shape of the wood guides the finished product. That is most evident in a fox he carved from a pine knot. Myers uses the natural flow of the grain to enhance the representation of its fur.

Like many carvers, he uses chisels, dremels and other tools to complete his pieces, but one member of his group works only with a pocketknife.

"Every piece is different and every carver is different," Myers noted.

After 30 years at Lexington Home Brands, Myers will lose his job when Plant 2 closes in November.

"Most of these woodworkers did not come from the furniture industry, but there is still an underlying appreciation for the craftsmanship and patience of working by hand," Salzwedel said.

Other woodturners and craftsmen with pieces on display are Charles Tedder, Lee Chesson, Grady Butler and Bobby Davis.

"I've admired Mr. Butler's work for some time," remarked Bert Rau, of High Point, who was attending with his wife, Shirley.

He is a member of the Piedmont Triad Woodturners Association and revealed he had skipped its regular meeting to attend the reception.

"It's a very rewarding hobby," Rau said.

Davis agreed as he stood nearby, explaining how he creates his segmented bowls. He is a retired printer and lives in Midway with his wife, Joretta. He said he picked up his love of woodworking from his father, who operated a saw mill and built cabinets.

Each segmented bowl combines 250 pieces of cherry, maple, walnut and mahogany and "a lot of time and patience" to complete - about three, eight-hour days each, Davis estimated.

"It's just enjoyable to work with wood," he observed.

It seems only natural that after hours of painstaking effort spent creating these wooden works of art by hand, people who view them want to pick them up, too.

Eric Frazier can be reached at 249-3981, ext. 226, or eric.frazier@the-dispatch.com.

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